I normally use only approved recipes for all canning, with extreme caution for everything not on that list. I was doing a general search for squash recipes(not necessarily canning) and this one was posted on a food blog. I had already seen some that were similar that indicated for refrigerator or freezer storage. I knew that squash purees were not canned, but I didn't know if being in a jam form with all that sugar would make a difference. I also knew that bottled lemon juice should be substituted for the fresh, but I didn't realize it still wasn't enough lemon juice for the amount of squash. Thanks for your input. I won't use it for canning.

Hi, Lars! Appreciate your reply. I've heard so many stories (myths?) about the dangers of re-heating seafood, that I'm a bit leery just thinking about this. But I suppose if the worst that can happen is that I die of botulism, it's really insignificant in the grand scheme of things! Yes, my freezer is trustworthy, and the remaining portion is a one meal size. Although if you'd care to join me here in Australia to share the meal, I can happily extend the quantity to suit the 2 of us! A couple of crusty bread rolls, some grated pecorino and freshly ground black pepper, a bottle of really good local Shiraz, followed by a cheese platter, a chilled botrytus wine, coffee, brandy and a philosophical chat would be a fine ending to the evening. And I'll even make my specialty, Indian kulfi, to cleanse the palate. Do you prefer mango or chocolate? Whaddya reckon? Regards, Shax

I’m sorry to say, but if you are talking about stripping wood, you cannot do this safely indoors. The fumes will seriously injure you. I “get away with” a lot, but that is one thing I will not risk. I could tell you 2 stories that would curl your hair. You must do this outdoors. At the same time, most strippers do not work well when it gets cold. Every winter I seem to find stuff that needs stripping, and I just have to wait for springtime. I push the season by doing it in my garage with the door open. There are “Safe” non-toxic strippers but in my opinion, they do not work. If you are talking about staining and varnishing, that is one thing I do “get away with”, if the project is small. I will do picture frames and things of similar size. I usually coat quickly in my basement workroom, then leave the room, shutting the door. I turn off the heat ahead of time so the smell is not pumped all over the house. I leave it off at least until the coat is set. Even then, unless I do it first thing in the morning, my husband will come home and say, “What did you do?!” You can’t do your stairs until you can open the windows. Way too much surface area.

Remember, the Dept. of Ag. has to be far more cautious than normal healthy folks. If they say two days, people reading it will think five. If they're not there to smell it and be sure it's not rotten, and to cook it to make sure it's not underdone, they have to reduce their number. If they're not sure that the people who say they've defrosted in the fridge aren't counting the three hours on the counter before they put it in the fridge, they have to be cautious. Even though we can all quote the 2 hours for unrefrigerated perishables, according to a food scientist, it's actually four hours if handled in a safe manner. The problem is the people who don't.... Dcarch, thanks. Per capita would be a better comparison, but percentage of GDP will do. New Zealand, on that chart, is 11% and Sierra Leone is 11.1%, whereas USA is 17.1%, which is a difference of about 43% from other high spenders. Of course, both the others have government subsidized health care. We have the cutting edge treatments for difficult diseases that people come here from all over the world to take advantage of. It would be helpful to know how much of that 17.1% medical sector is for general and ordinary care, and how much for things most other countries can't even offer the wealthy...